Legislative Notes for the Week of February 16 - February 20, 2004

Slow Going on the Hill

There is not a feeling of urgency at the legislature these days. Lawmakers are waiting for the budget forecast scheduled to be released at the end of February before they get serious about setting dates to adjourn. The dates are set by negotiations between House and Senate leadership. Lawmakers are hoping for no big swings in revenue that could require further cuts. Rumors of a deficit as large as $500 million are easy to find at the Legislature.

Bonding Bill Holding

No additional hearings on the Board of Trustees $274.9 million request for capital construction occurred this week. Neither the House nor Senate capital investment committees have scheduled hearings to start assembling the legislation. Representative Doug Fuller (R-Bemidji) has a proposal (HF2006) for a Hockey Arena to be constructed by the State Amateur Sports Commission on the Bemidji State University campus. Fuller made a presentation to the House Higher Education Finance Committee and the State Government Finance Committee this week.

Faculty Lobby Day A Success

State university faculty members from the Inter Faculty Organization met with members of the Legislature on Wednesday and Thursday. IFO Government Relations Director Russ Stanton scheduled meetings with key members of committees, leaders of the House and Senate, and local legislators. Issues the faculty discussed were the bonding bill, funding reductions, doctoral program planning and employee contract ratification.

Battle over Alternative Teacher Licensure

Department of Education Commissioner Cheri Pearson Yecke is proposing a new way to get a license to teach in Minnesota schools. Yecke would require a bachelor's degree in the field (or equivalent), passing a test and taking 200 hours of instruction, rather than the traditional process managed by the State Board of Teaching. This approach is modeled after a program in Ohio. Michael Miller, dean of the Teacher Education program at Minnesota State University, Mankato, testified that state universities have developed several alternative ways to license teachers. Programs are available online, and weekends and evenings. Miller told legislators that the process should remain with the State Board of Teaching and urged members to consider establishing an assessment center to review credentials of people applying to be teachers. More hearings on the bill will be held. There appears to be more interest in this proposal in the House of Representatives than in the state Senate.